Turret-type multipress



Dec.Z2, 1970 AKlR A ASAR. 3,548,628

TURRET-TYPE MUL'I'I PRESS Filed May '7, 1968 AKIRA ASARI,

I nvenlor By Z Attorneys United States Patent 3,548,628 TURRET-TYPE MULTIPRESS Akira Asari, Osaka, Japan, assignor to Kobe Steel Ltd., Osaka, Japan Filed May 7, 1968, Ser. No. 727,279 Int. Cl. B21j 9/02 US. Cl. 72-405 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A turret type multipress includes a base having a vertical pivot thereon. A turret is rotatable around the pivot. Above the turret are mounted a plurality of presses, each of which has at least two separate pillars attached to the base. The proximal pillars extend through the pivot, while the distal pillars are fixed to the base in the outer area thereof.

A system is known wherein a press installation comprises two or more kinds of unit presses and a workpiece is transferred in each operation through the individual unit presses. This system does not make it necessary to take the trouble of exchanging tools and does notinvolve so much disadvantage as does an arrangement wherein independent presses are installed. This system, however, has a certain problem. It resides in the fact that the unit presses differ in capacity from each other for different tools. When two or more kinds of unit presses of different capacities are provided in one press installation, the parts where the respective unit presses exist must of necessity bear different press loads, which is undesirable since the press pillars and arms are caused to be overstrained. And besides, in another aspect the strength members such as pillar are severely limited in location since a workpiece has to be transferred through the individual unit presses.

This invention relates to a rationalized turret type multipress and has for its object the provision of a press wherein two or more kinds of unit presses of different press capacities are installed and the individual unit presses have independent press pillars in conformity with their respective press capacities and bear their own press loads without interferring with each other and a turret for transfer of workpieces is capable of rotating without being obstructed by the press pillars of each unit press.

This invention relates to a turret type multipress having a rotatable turret for transfer of workpieces and two or more kinds of unit presses.

This invention is characterized in that a turret is so installed as to be rotatable around the axis of a pivot formed on a base and two or more kinds of unit presses have each at least two press pillars adapted to bear loads, the proximal one of the press pillars of each unit press being fixed to the base at a position where it extends through said pivot, the distal press pillar being fixed to the'base at the outer edge thereof.

While the base serves as a common lower frame for theunit presses, upper frames are used one for each unit frame, and press pillars are connected between said upper and lower frames. As for the press pillars of each unit press, members having a strength in conformity with the press capacity of that unit press are used. Since such press pillars are provided independently for each unit press, there is no interference in load action and it is not necessary to pay heed to the fear of overload. Since each unit press can be constructed with at least two press pillars, there is no need to be anxious about the strength of press pillars as in the case of the so-called cantilever type press using a single pillar or arm. Of the press pillars of the unit presses, the proximal ones are gathered "ice around the axis of rotation of the turret, and the turret rotates around them, so that the rotation of the turret is not limited at all.

The turret may be of turntable construction. A driving mechanism for rotating the turret may be freely designed. If some containers for receiving workpieces are distributively attached to the turret, the workpiece received in each container, e.g. a metal billet to be subjected to extrusion is moved successively to the positions of the individual unit presses by the intermittent rotation of the turret. The press of this invention is suitable in cases where metal billets for extrusion of pipes are subjected to piercing operation. Tools necessary for piercing operation are attached to the front ends of hydraulically driven rams or pistons, and the movement thereof toward said billets effect preparatory operations on the billets including upsetting, preparatory boring, piercing and knockout. Since these upsetting, preparatory boring, piercing and knockout operations are all effected by axially driving the rams or pistons, the press loads at that time are borne by the press pillars of each unit press.

This press may be applied to a metal extrusion press. The press tools used in this case include an extrusion stern, mandrel and die and auxiliary members such as an ejector for extrusion residues, container brush and billet charger. Such press operations as billet charging, extruding, ejecting and brushing are carried out at the respective unit presses. In this case, too, the loads on each unit press are borne by its press pillars.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of this press. FIG. 2 is a section on line IIII thereof. FIG. 3 is a cross-section showing another example, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are sections on lines IVIV and V-V in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a pivot 2 as thick as possible is projected upwardly from and integrally with the base 1 of the press at the center thereof and the central portion of a disc-shaped turret 3 is rotatably supported by the pivot through a bushing. The lower surface of the turret is in surface contact with the upper surface of the base, so that the press force is supported on said upper surface.

Two or more unit presses are used in conformity with the number of press operations. In FIG. 1, four unit presses are shown by way of example. Each of the unit presses 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d comprises at least two vertical pillars 6a and 6b, an upper frame 7 fixed to the upper ends of said pillars, a driving mechanism for working of press consisting, e.g., of a ram 8 and a cylinder 9, and a crosshead 10 connected to said ram 8 and movable up and down along said pillars 6a and 6b. These unit presses Sa-Sd are arranged over the base 1 radially with the pivot 2 as the center. Of the pillars 6a, 6b, the proximal one, 6a, is fixed to the base 1 as it extends from the pivot 2 through the base 1, while the distal one 6b is fixed to the base 1 as it extends through that part of the base which is outside the turret 3, as shown in FIG. 2.

A pair of upper and lower metal moulds 11 and 12 are attached to the crosshead 10 and turret 3, respectively.

In addition, in the drawings the numeral 13 designates a nut for fixing the upper end of each pillar 6a, 6b to the upper frame 7 and the numeral 14 designates a nut for fixing the lower end of each pillar to the base 1.

When one workpiece has been subjected at one Work ing place to a kind of press treatment by one unit press 5a between the upper and lower metal moulds 11 and 12, the crosshead 10 thereof is moved upwardly and the turret 3 is then rotated one pitch on the base 1 around the pivot to transfer said workpiece to the next working place, where it is subjected to the second press working 'by the unit press 5b at that place, the subsequent operations occurring in the same manner as above. Thus, in

the instant case the workpiece can be subjected to four kinds of press Working.

In order to rotate the turret 3, the outer periphery of the turret may be formed with a rack meshing with a pinion 16 for driving said turret.

In FIGS. 3-5 is shown by way of example a piercing press to which this invention is applied.

A turret 22 is rotatably fitted on and supported by a pivot 21 provided upwardly at the center of a base 20. Three containers 23 are distributively attached to said turret 22. A pinion in a driving mechanism (not shown) meshes with a rack 24 formed on the outer periphery of the turret 22, whereby the turret 22 is rotated around the axis of the pivot 21. Three stations A, B and C, where the three containers are respectively positioned, constitute a charge station A, a piercing station C and a discharge station C, respectively. At the charge station A and discharge station B there are respectively installed unit presses respectively comprising two press pillars 25a, 25b and 26a, 26b, and upper frames 27 and 28. The proximal press pillars 25a and 26a of the respective unit presses extend through the pivot 21 and supported by the base 20, while the distal pillars 25b and 26b are supported directly by the base 20 Without extending through the pivot. At the piercing station B there is a unit press comprising four press pillars 29 and an upper frame 30, the unit press, however, does not form a part of this invention and therefore the four press pillars 29 are attached directly to the base 20.

In addition, the unit presses at the stations A, B and C are provided respectively with a preparatory boring tool 34, a piercing tool and a knockout tool 36 driven respectively by hydraulic members 31, 32 and 33.

A billet is initially charged in the container 23 at the charge station, where it is subjected to preparatory boring by the boring tool 34, whereupon the turret 22 is rotated by 120 so that the workpiece is then subjected to upsetting and piercing at the piercing station B, whereupon the turret is further rotated by 120 to arrive at the discharge station C, where it is discharged by the knockout tool 36, and thereafter the turret is further rotated by 120 to arrive at the charge station A to complete one cycle.

When preparatory boring at the charge station A and knockout at the discharge station C are carried out, the hydraulic members 31 and 33 are used and the loads are borne by the respective press pillars 25a, 25b and 26a, 26b, without any mutual interference.

In addition, at the discharge station C, in advance of effecting knockout a manipulator 35 for discharge is in terposed between the container and upper frame 28, and in this condition knockout is effected. At this time, the container tends to be pushed up along with the billet, but the upper frame 28 supports the same so that the knockout force is supported by the pillars 26a and 26b.

In this example the press pillars 29 of the unit press at the piercing station B are shown as not extending through the pivot 21 but located outside. As in this example there is an instance in which all of the press pi1- lars of the unit presses are not gathered at the pivot.

What I claim is:

1. A turret type multipress comprising a turret for transfer of a workpiece carried thereon, said turret being rotatably supported by a vertical pivot provided at the center of a base, a plurality of unit presses disposed immediately above said turret and each having at least two pillars, said unit presses being arranged distributively with said pivot as the center, the proximal pillars of the unit presses extending through the pivot and being fixed to the base, the distal pillars thereof extending through and being fixed to the base in the outer area thereof, whereby varying forces within said pillars of each unit press will not affect each other.

2. A turret type multipress as set forth in claim 1 wherein the presses are hydraulically operated in sequence in timed relation to the turning of the turret.

3. A turret type multipress as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for driving the turret comprises a toothed rack formed around the periphery of the turret and a pinion meshing therewith and adapted to drive the turret.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,280,881 10/1918 Sherman 72405 2,135,390 11/1938 Dichter 72-405 2,731,859 l/1956 Kendall 72405 2,785,594 3/1957 Eben 72-448 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner G. P. CROSBY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

